WP: Friendship, His Way – Bush Sets the Terms in Forming Relationships …

[kskiska]

…with World Leaders

Tuesday, June 8, 2004; Page A01

When British Prime Minister Tony Blair asked President Bill Clinton three years ago for guidance on dealing with a successor, Clinton offered some succinct advice: "Be his friend."

"Friendship" may seem like a strange word for world leaders, who are responsible for representing the interests of their nations when they meet at events such as this week's Group of Eight summit in Sea Island, Ga. But personal bonds can help smooth out rough patches when national interests conflict -- or sometimes cause a blind spot when a cold assessment is required.

Clinton forged links with leaders who had similar outsized appetites and personalities, and he generally did not let disputes over policy interfere with those personal relationships. In President Bush's case, the relationships are very much on his terms, said former and current officials, as well as officials overseas.

Bush bonds with leaders who see the world as he does, who in his view "get" the war on terrorism, who talk simply and straightforwardly and do not break any private commitments and understandings, officials said. Leaders who are willing to accept his point of view may be able to modify it somewhat, or gain something in return, but those looking for real negotiations or give-and-take are liable to come away disappointed, officials and diplomats say.

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A23324-2004Jun7.html

[yardwork]

1. And we are to believe that W assessed Khaddafi as "good person?"

I think this article is nonsense. Another puff piece about our stalwart president. Barf.

[Mandate My Ass]

2. IOW, petulant five-year-old man child

is the most powerful man in the big sandbox.

[rumguy]

3. puff piece!

:puffpiece:

[thebigidea]

4. what swill

"Bush and Blair now closely coordinate their policies. Blair writes long letters to Bush -- it is unclear whether Bush writes long letters back --"

Hmm, wild stab in the dark here, guys... but, uh - NO?

[kskiska]

5. Maybe the Poodle would get an answer

if he wrote on a 3 x 5 card instead, in block letters.

[Kool Kitty]

6. Of course he doesn't write back.

To do that, Bush would have to READ Mr. Blair's letters. And we all know how proud he is of not being a reader. Pathetic.

[KoKo]

7. Did anyone else think this article is bizarre? What kind of reporter

would put this idiocy out there? The WaPo gets worse and worse every week. The simplistic style of the writer is maybe supposed to display the "simple" style of Bush??? YUCK!

[JohnyCanuck]

8. We all know what "be his friend" means

When British Prime Minister Tony Blair asked President Bill Clinton three years ago for guidance on dealing with a successor, Clinton offered some succinct advice: "Be his friend."

Be his friend = Be a Bush ass kisser.

[punpirate]

9. Hmm, according to the Texas archives...

... Bush wrote a lot of short notes to Ken Lay.

Sort of tells me that Bush doesn't have any friends, but he has a lot of friendly business partners....

[TahitiNut]

10. Is it any surprise that his "friends" are royal and military despots?

With the understandable exception of Blair, the only "leaders" (I hate that word) Bush seems to be comfortable with are autocrats and despots.

[punpirate]

11. Birds of a feather, y'know.... n/t

[daleo]

12. It would be easier to friends with an Ebola virus than Bush

The conversation would probably be more interesting, and you would feel safer.

[Hamlette]

13. ewwwwwwww

"Bush puts a lot of stock in his gut-level assessments of his fellow leaders. The fact that Russian President Vladimir Putin treasures a cross given by his mother -- and had it blessed in Israel -- convinced Bush he could deal with the former KGB operative. As a result, Bush declared after their first meeting that Putin was "very straightforward and trustworthy" and he was able to "get a sense of his soul."

Bush is a certifiable NUT CASE!

[salin]

14. and yet he never questions whether his gut

has good judgement... hence we get Perle, Wolfie, Rummie, Chalabi, Ken Lay, etc etc etc.

[truthisfreedom]

15. bush is not special. he is sick. he needs to be institutionalized.

[gatlingforme]

19. lol, I agree. You should really say what you mean. lol

[osh]

16. Who are Bush's friends? I've heard Don Evans is an old friend...

Who is a Dubya friend other than a "'cause your daddy's important" friend? Who likes Dubya for just the plain old West Texas, now of Crawford, elite academies/colleges, cowpoke Dubya? Who?

[notadmblnd]

22. James Bath is a pal

but strangely enough, they've kept him in the deep freeze during this regimes term.

[newyawker99]

28. Hi osh!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[stickdog]

17. Everybody knows tha British PMs are man's best friend. (nt)

[Leilani]

18. I think this piece makes Bush look like the idiot he is!

It shows his {My way or the Highway} approach to things.

The guy is so rigid & inflexible, that some day soon he will break...& I hope he is out of the White House by then.

[llmart]

20. This is the reason our country is in the shape it's in today.

The rest of the world no longer admires us because of this doofus. Once we get rid of him and his ilk we can get our country back on track. He should take his isolationist attitude back to the pig farm where he and his uninspiring wife belong.

[Eurobabe]

21. Simple tests for simple minds

The President of Good and Evil

n/t

[DS1]

23. Baby Roofth?

Chunk?

[LizW]

24. Makes Bush* look like the simple doofus he is

This sounds very familiar. The way the article describes Bush's assessment of people sounds like many fundamentalists I have come into contact with. "Good person" or "bad person" status is assigned according to a person's religious affiliation and beliefs, or alternatively, whether being friends with that person offers any advantage.

This is why the Christian fundamentalists "click" with Bush. Their worldview is the same. Black and white. Good and evil. With us or against us. Nothing that requires deep thinking.

I wish I had a nickel for every time I've heard members of my family refer to someone as "a good Christian man/woman". To fundamentalists, if someone goes to the right church often enough, and mouths the right words, he or she is "good". Little deeper examination is necessary.

I think this can be informative for us. According the the article, being a "good" person is only the first step in gaining Bush's acceptance. More important (as evidenced by the section about Bush's failing relationship with Mexico's Fox) is that the fundy mind has to see something to be gained from the relationship. (Bush loved Fox until Fox didn't come through with support for the Iraq war.) If the fundies ever turn on Bush, it will be because they finally realize that Bush is not coming through with the payola he's promising them.

[Just Me]

25. Be a friend by sharing his sick view of the world?

Ugh.

[Malva Zebrina]

26. It's sad and I'm sorry

we have now graduated to having a swell president who is a military hero, as he told us back in May.

A little coward of a delusional man, not elected, is ruling the world and jerking us all around.

[Zech Marquis]

27. you call this "making friendships"?

more like a bully "asking for your lunch moeny or a knuckle sandwich" type to me :puke: sure isn't a way to lead anything, much less a country!

Pootie Poo has nice hair, so I'll deal with him :eyes: